Tag Archives: Mold

It’s not often that we hear people discussing chemical and environmental “sensitivities” and other environmentally linked chronic health problems and disabling conditions, or how they relate in the bigger picture.

Two such discussions have taken place in August of 2019, and you can watch the videos below.

I am an artist in Winnipeg who lives with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and environmental illness caused by mold exposure. My art has been in relation to multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)/Environmental Illness (EI) and toxic environments.

The art installation was on display during the evening of Fri. May 12, on Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)/Environmental Sensitivities Awareness Day, outside the Centennial Concert Hall (with a few quotes displayed on the indoor screens), and is dedicated to my friend Eliana from Mexico.

Marie Leblanc, an artist from Winnipeg who is living with MCS/ES herself, is compiling information and statements to put into an MCS awareness project. There are two ideas to contribute to.

The easier one is to share shorter personal statements about your life with MCS/ES and related environmentally linked health conditions, which will be projected onto walls in a way similar to the photo below.

In all of this I don’t have a permanent place to stay and paid rent to a landlord who won’t fix anything, my apartment insurance cut me off and won’t help with my possessions, my medicare health insurance is not covering the health aspect and my one doctor wants me to see a doctor out of province which is not covered, and my social assistance did not pay me my disability this month, and family does not understand any of this….At this point I have nothing to lose and everything to gain….I AM MOVING FORWARD!

“I never leave home without a scarf to wrap around my face. To give me a hands free quick exit.”

~ D.R.B.

“This is me cleaning a mouldy wall in my apartment after a flood in February. I was wearing all 3 – nasal filters, a disposable R95 (mostly to keep gas mask plastic off skin), plus the P100! Thankfully, I didn’t have to stay and was able to move into a mold-free unit, as one became available.”

Living with MCS/ES creates challenges that seem unimaginable to most people. Despite some progress (more awareness), due in large part to so many more people being affected, the barriers and obstacles to living in the world as it currently is, can be never-ending when there is industry generated denial that everyday chemicals (or wireless) exposures are hurting and disabling people.

“Remember, don’t talk or breathe when you take your masks off to eat”

It is exhausting to have to constantly ask for accommodations just to be able to exist in a world where safe solutions are often hard to find, or when they do exist, they are not affordable. It can be like living in a world that wishes we’d just go away and leave them all alone, yet… there is no safe place to go away to…

Is it any wonder then, that people develop mental health problems?

When health problems (mental or otherwise) related to circumstances and experiences arise, one is (usually) only truly helped by people who have an understanding of the issues related to the circumstances that are connected to the problems. When that understanding doesn’t exist, appearances can create erroneous assumptions that perpetuate the kinds of harms that caused the problems in the first place.

For people with MCS/ES, exposures can trigger temporary or long term brain and behavior issues that look like mental health problems to people who don’t know how toxic chemicals, molds, food sensitivities, or wireless exposures can affect our brains and bodies. And sometimes we are capable of doing some things, yet completely incapable of doing others, as exposures can affect different parts of our bodies and brains, and for varying amounts of time.

What people also don’t understand, is that when we are able to live free of those exposures, we can be free of the brain or behavior problems the exposures cause.

Finding ways to access goods and services without being subjected to disabling levels of exposures can take 10 to 100 times more effort than people normally have to extend for the same goods and services. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we cannot safely access the goods and services everyone else takes for granted. These challenges can mean we may need to turn to others for help with survival and coping , yet not only is it difficult to receive practical support,

new research also proves that access to knowledgeable mental health care providers is rare for people with MCS/ES!

“When asked to evaluate their provider’s knowledge of MCS on a scale of “not knowledgeable”, “somewhat knowledgeable”, or “highly knowledgeable”,

Adverse Effects reporting

How to File an ADA Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice
You can file an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint alleging disability discrimination against a State or local government or a public accommodation (private business including, for example, a restaurant, doctor’s office, retail store, hotel, etc.).

Food

Buy Non-GMO
Buying non-GMO not only impacts your own and your family’s health concerns, it also influences the buying decisions of food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

Cultivating Food Co-ops
– resources and tools to meet the needs of those involved in sustainable food and farming co-operatives

Dr Vandana Shiva and Navdanya
are actively involved in the rejuvenation of indigenous knowledge and culture. It has created awareness on the hazards of genetic engineering, defended people’s knowledge from biopiracy and food rights in the face of globalisation and climate chan

How to File an ADA Complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice
You can file an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint alleging disability discrimination against a State or local government or a public accommodation (private business including, for example, a restaurant, doctor’s office, retail store, hotel, etc.).

Environmental Health Center-Dallas
The mission of the Environmental Health Center – Dallas is to provide superior medical care and education with a special emphasis on the effects of environmental factors on health and disease.

Paradigm Change
While we are interested in all kinds of toxins (including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, fire retardants and other chemicals), a particular focus is on the biotoxins made by molds, cyanobacteria and other microorganisms.

The Story of Stuff Project
Short, easily shareable online movies that explore some of the key features of our relationship with Stuff

News

EcoWatch
focuses on the issues of water, air, food, energy and biodiversity

Environmental Health News
a foundation-funded news organization that advances the public’s understanding of environmental health issues by reporting and publishing news stories and providing daily access to news from other media around the world.